Heavy Duty Trucking Logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Economic Watch: Trucking Adds to Overall Employment, Factory Activity Mixed

The U.S. economy continued adding jobs in November as trucking employment turned around from the month before, while a separate report on manufacturing was only somewhat positive for the industry.

Evan Lockridge
Evan LockridgeFormer Business Contributing Editor
December 4, 2015
Economic Watch: Trucking Adds to Overall Employment, Factory Activity Mixed

 

3 min to read


The U.S. economy continued adding jobs in November as trucking employment turned around from the month before, while a separate report on manufacturing was only somewhat positive for the industry.

A Labor Department report issued Friday shows 211,000 non-farm jobs were added last month following an upwardly revised 298,000 job gain in October. This kept the unemployment rate at 5%, the lowest since April 2008.

Ad Loading...

Job gains occurred in construction, the biggest improvement since January, along with those in professional/technical services and health care while mining and information lost jobs.

In for-hire trucking, 2,300 jobs were added in November, a big improvement from October’s showing that was revised to 900 jobs lost rather than the originally reported 400 job gain. The wider transportation and warehousing sector saw job additions rise by 6,400.

“A strong employment report this morning, at least against the new, lowered bar of judgment whereby anything over 200,000 is considered solid,” said Lindsey Piegza, chief economist at Stifel Fixed Income.

Ad Loading...

She said when this report is coupled with one from earlier in the week showing a larger-than-expected decline in the service sector activity and a multi-month low in service hiring, a sizable red flag mars the positive feeling of the November employment headline rise.

“Service sector activity tends to lag behind manufacturing activity, which has fallen off to the lowest level since 2009 as of November suggesting further weakness may be coming down the pipeline as we head into the new year,” Piegza said. “Accounting for more than a third of the economy, additional momentum will be needed in the service sector to maintain the current stagnant 2% growth pace, let alone result in the type of momentum Federal Reserve Chair Yellen and company are anticipating in 2016.”

In mid-December the Federal Reserve is set to meet to discuss interest rates and there is increasing speculation it will move them higher from near-zero for the first time in many years.

This report follows one the day before from the U.S. Commerce Department showing factory orders increased in October, but shipments posted the sixth drop out of the past seven months.

New orders for manufactured goods in October increased 1.5% following two straight monthly declines. Excluding transportation, factory orders rose 0.2%, a four-month high.

Ad Loading...

New orders for manufactured durable goods moved 2.9% higher, following two consecutive monthly decreases, down from the previously published 3.0% increase.

Capital goods orders excluding aircraft and defense, a proxy for business spending in the gross domestic product calculation, was unchanged at 1.3% in the final October report and up 0.4% year-over-year.

Shipments of factory orders in October fell 0.5% while shipments of manufactured durable goods, down two of the last three months, decreased 1%, unchanged from an earlier report.

Some analysts are cautioning that despite this improvement in factory orders, manufacturing remains hurt by the strong U.S. dollar and declines in the energy market and that the Fed needs to hold off on raising interest rates.

In contrast, others say the economy can withstand a hike with even some Fed officials publically saying without a hike they will be less able to do something to stimulate the economy if it heads south later on.

More Fleet Management

Lance Evans, Director of Safety at K&B Transportation.

Inside Modern Fleet Safety: AI, Cameras & Speed Control at K&B Transportation

How a former commercial vehicle enforcement officer turned director of safety at K&B Transportation is embracing real-world safety technology.

Read More →
TEN disaster prep.
Fleet ManagementMay 1, 2026

How Fleets Can Avoid Equipment Blind Spots in Disaster Response

When the unexpected happens, how you react to, and deal with operational blind spots is critical. Here’s how to keep you recovery on track, when nothing is normal.

Read More →
Illustration of cybersecurity images with "The Cyber Stop" text
Fleet Managementby Ben WilkensApril 30, 2026

AI Security Risks for Trucking Fleets: What to Know About Deepfakes and Agentic AI

As fleets adopt artificial intelligence for routing, maintenance, and load matching, new security risks are emerging. Learn where the vulnerabilities are and how to put the right controls in place.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Mobile tablet showing Motus screen against highway background with Motus logo

FMCSA’s Motus System Is Coming. What Fleets Need to Know Now

The long-awaited registration system promises a single portal — and tighter fraud controls.

Read More →
CargoNet 2026 Qi report.
Fleet Managementby News/Media ReleaseApril 24, 2026

Cargo Theft Incidents Fall in Q1, but Organized Crime and Impersonation Drive New Risks

CargoNet reports fewer supply chain crime events to start 2026. But losses hold steady as organized crime shifts tactics toward impersonation schemes and high-value goods.

Read More →
Graphic with light bulbs, HDT Truck Fleet Innovators logo, and the word Nominations
Fleet ManagementApril 24, 2026

Nominations Open for HDT Truck Fleet Innovators 2026

Heavy Duty Trucking is searching for forward-looking leaders at trucking fleets as nominations for HDT’s Truck Fleet Innovators 2026. Deadline is May 15.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Illustration with trojan horse and lock with inside of cargo container in background
Fleet Managementby News/Media ReleaseApril 23, 2026

New Trojan Driver Cargo Theft Scam Bypasses Carrier Vetting Systems

Cargo theft rings plant operatives as drivers inside legitimate, fully vetted carriers, then execute coordinated thefts that look like a traditional straight theft from the outside.

Read More →
ATA Truck Tonnage Index March 2026.
Fleet Managementby News/Media ReleaseApril 22, 2026

March Truck Tonnage Posts Strongest Annual Gain Since 2022

A modest sequential increase capped the strongest quarterly performance in years, signaling continued freight momentum in early 2026.

Read More →
Toll road.
Fleet Managementby Jack RobertsApril 22, 2026

Ohio Turnpike Targets $5.2 Million in Unpaid Tolls from Trucking Firms

More than 300 carriers across 26 states have been sent to collections as the Ohio Turnpike cracks down on toll evasion and delinquent payments.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Illustration with ATRI logo and square blocks spelling out "research"
Fleet Managementby Deborah LockridgeApril 20, 2026

'Beyond Compliance,' Regulations, Driver Coaching on ATRI’s 2026 Research List

The American Transportation Research Institute will examine driver coaching, regulatory impacts — including the "Beyond Compliance" concept —and weather disruptions that shape trucking operations.

Read More →